Counterintuitive Usability With The Questionable Approach

Submitted by Richard Smith on April 1, 2013 - 00:00

Researchers at the Media Attention Deficit (MAD) Lab recently reported findings that run counter to accepted norms in software usability design. The MAD Lab researchers found that the more difficult software was to use, the more memorable the software became. In light of this research we have replaced all the icons in Caedium with the same question mark icon in an effort to make our software more difficult to use, but easier to remember.

Questionable Approach

We are calling this new Caedium interface design method the Questionable Approach.

For the logic to explain the MAD Lab findings just think back (if you are old enough) to the days of the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum, remember how difficult those computers were to use and yet you likely remember them quite clearly. Now think about today's crop of computers and software applications - a forgettable blur of buttons, sliders, and swipes.